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NBA D-League Update

Published on November 19, 2014 under NBA G League (G League) News Release


D-LEAGUE STORYLINES TO WATCH

It's been more than six months since the NBA D-League season ended with a bang -- with the Houston Rockets' Troy Daniels, a February Call-Up from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, joining NBA playoff lore with a game-winning shot in Portland and the Fort Wayne Mad Ants capturing the NBA D-League title in dramatic fashion the next night. Both served as a reminder of what the league is all about.

A (mostly) new crop of players has filed in this fall with hopes of tasting similar success. From the never-ending search for NBA prospects to more experimentation and intrigue on the court than ever before, here are some stories to follow during the 2014-15 NBA D-League season:

Who will be this year's Troy Daniels?

Last November, Daniels was just another little-known D-Leaguer dreaming of an NBA future. In the span of five months, he lit up the minor league, earned a Call-Up to the Rockets and won them a playoff game with a fairy-tale buzzer-beater. Players entering the NBA D-League this year can only imagine writing such a script. But you can bet that many of the names you see on the Prospect Watch will be coming to an NBA arena near you.

Who will be this year's Pierre Jackson?

NBA D-League prospects share one goal: making it to the next level. But there are also special cases when a minor-league performer becomes a show unto himself. That was Pierre Jackson in 2013-14. The 5-10 guard sparked Pardon the Interruption debates (okay, it was just one segment) as he took the league by storm, one acrobatic finish, yo-yo crossover and step-back jumper at a time. Jackson led the league in scoring -- including a record 58-point game -- before being traded to the 76ers (where his story took a crushing turn). The man he went toe-to-toe with in the scoring title battle -- Manny Harris -- has returned. Explosive collegiate scorers Jabari Brown, Bryce Cotton and Joe Jackson, among others, could be next in line.

The NBA D-League Path to the Draft

Never before had two players from the NBA D-League heard their names called in the same NBA Draft until P.J. Hairston (No. 25) and Thanasis Antetokounmpo (No. 51) made history this past June. Will making that leap become a yearly occurrence? It's starting to look that way, as players from near and far have filtered into the NBA D-League as a detour to the NBA Draft. Seven in all entered the fray through the 2014 NBA D-League Draft on Nov. 1 (they will not be eligible to be called up to the NBA this year): Brazil's Ricardo Barbosa, Finland's Joonas Caven, Texas A&M's Jamal Jones, Marquette's Todd Mayo, Serbia's Milos Milisavljevic, Kansas' Naadir Tharpe and Delaware's Jarvis Threatt.

The "Domestic Draft-and-Stash"

"Draft-and-stash" used to mean that a player would head overseas and temporarily fall off the NBA radar. Now teams are redefining the concept, stashing their draftees stateside, where they can monitor their every move. Through new NBA D-League rules, Semaj Christon and Josh Huestis (Oklahoma City Thunder/Oklahoma City Blue) and Thanasis Antetokounmpo (New York Knicks/Westchester Knicks) will spend the season developing with their big club's affiliate. (They will still be eligible to be called up by their respective teams.) Tracking their performance will be interesting for not just OKC and NYC fans, but for the front offices in both cities.

PROSPECT REPORT

Ronald Roberts, Delaware 87ers -- Roberts' name doesn't jump off the page like some other players currently occupying spots on the NBA D-League's top prospect lists. He showed steady improvement over four seasons at St. Joseph's, eventually becoming one of the better players in the Atlantic 10. It wasn't enough to hear his name called on draft night in 2014, but Roberts hooked on with the Philadelphia 76ers and was a late training camp cut, with 76ers able to snag him for their NBA D-League affiliate. What he lacks in offensive polish he makes up for with strength, athleticism and effort. Though somewhat stuck between forward positions from a size (6-8, 220) standpoint, he's an explosive leaper and ferocious rebounder with a great nose for the ball, the kind of guy other players bounce off of. As one longtime NBA scout put it: "Lots of players with his mindset and physical characteristics end up on NBA rosters because coaches love their competitiveness. He should not be counted out."

NEWS & NOTES

NBA D-League Tips Off Season with Re-Designed League Website and Center Court App

NBA Digital announced that it has launched a new responsive NBA Development League website and NBA D-League Center Court app presented by Simple for the 2014-15 season. The new NBA D-League website offers enhanced usability and is optimized to work across all devices, with an emphasis on mobile platforms. The website features a seamless and consistent user experience across desktop, tablet and mobile devices, with detailed information about NBA D-League players and NBA prospects, including enhanced videos and breaking news updates. The redesigned site provides fans relevant information about any player or any game in real-time. In addition, the video-centric site features newly designed pages that allow fans to stream over 350 live or on-demand games for free. The new-look NBA D-League Center Court app presented by Simple, which is available via iPhone, iPad, Android phones and Android tablets, has an updated user interface design that showcases the full breadth of NBA D-League content, including the streaming of live games, robust video-on-demand packages, team sections and interactive game pages.

Prospect Watch: Week One

Each week, NBADLeague.com compiles the Prospect Watch, a list of the top 30 prospects currently in the NBA D-League. Rankings are based on the combination of upside and experience, potential and production that NBA teams look for in a GATORADE Call-Up. The rankings are compiled by the editors at NBADLeague.com each Tuesday with input from scouts and coaches around the league.

AROUND THE D-LEAGUE

The Cleveland Cavaliers have assigned center Alex Kirk to the Canton Charge. Kirk has appeared in two games for the Cavs this season ... The Oklahoma City Thunder has assigned forward Grant Jerrett to the Oklahoma City Blue of the NBA D-League. During the 2013-14 season with the Thunder's D-League affiliate, Jerrett appeared in 27 games (25 starts) and averaged 15.1 points and 6.1 rebounds in 29.3 minutes per contest. He is yet to appear in a game as a member of the Thunder. The Thunder secured the rights to Jerrett on draft night after he was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 40th overall pick of the 2013 NBA Draft ... The Houston Rockets have assigned guard Nick Johnson to Houston's single-affiliation NBA D-League partner, Rio Grande Valley. Johnson (6-3, 200, Arizona) has appeared in three games with the Rockets so far this season, totaling two points and a rebound in 11 minutes of playing time. The former Arizona standout was selected by the Rockets with the 42nd overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft.

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